Brush body forming a gliding surface and a gliding device therewith



May 17, 1966 FUKUSABURO NllZAKl BRUSH BODY FORMING A GLIDING SURFACE AND A GLIDING DEVICE THEREWITH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1964 INVENTOR. FuKu SABURQ NHZA| ATTORNEYS May 17, 1966 FUKUSABURO NllZAKl BRUSH BODY FORMING A GLIDING SURFACE AND A GLIDIN 3,251,596 G DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5, 1964 INVENTOR N l \ZAKJ FUKUSABURQ '4) w was mm ATTORNEYS 11 Claims. 61. 272-565) This invention relates to a brush body forming a gliding surface and a gliding device therewith.

It is known that the snow skiing is practiced on the snow exclusively in winter and in limited places and time of snowfall and that an artificially made snow gliding device requires a great amount of snow and ice for the formation of the surface of the snow.

1 It is also known that in place of the snow skiing, there have been practiced sand skiing, loam skiing, and skiing on brushes capable of gliding throughout the seasons.

These devices, however, have various disadvantages for skiing or gliding because of the fact that their gliding surfaces do not provide satisfactory softness and comfortableness akin to the gliding on the snow and the devices lack in flexible and bounding characteristics for jumping. More- ,over, the gliding surface is often damaged by the use of ski sticks and there occurred injuries on the surfaces by scratching of skiing outfits when the skier falls down, while the skier is injured also on his body. In particular, the

gliding surface of brushes cannot afford comfortable feeling to the glider similar to that obtained on the snow particularly when it is made of brushes having pointed ends arranged on a flat surface- Such arranged ends of brushes render damages of friction on the body of the glider as well as heavy damages on the brush body.

This invention overcomes such short comings of gliding devices and has for its main object to provide a brush 'body forming a gliding surface and affording a similar comfortable feeling as in the snow gliding without fear of causing any kind of damage during the gliding,

Another object of this invention is to provide a gliding device very simple in construction and comfortable m use. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a gliding device which does not need a great amount of snow and ice.

Above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be illustrated by Way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a unit brush body of this invention.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are perspective views as seen respectively from back and front sides of curved type unit brush bodies arranged rotatably in juxtaposition.

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of a gliding device composed of spirally wound brushes in parallel arrangement.

FIGURE 5 is a gliding device composed of various types of brush units of this invention arranged in combination. 7

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a brush body illustrating the components in exploded relation.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a brush body illustrating the interrelationships of the components thereof.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a glide surface composed of various types of brush units arranged in combination.

Briefly described, the present invention relates to a brush body suitable for use in a glide surface generally comprising a base strand, at least one contact strand wound into a flattened spiral configuration with opposed loop ends, folded under and around the base strand so that the loop ends are disposed on opposite sides of the base strand and means for securing theloop ends disposed on United States Patent 0 1 Patented May 17, 1966 ice opposite sides of the base strand. In a more specific embodiment of the invention, the securing means includes a continuous strip extending along the length of the body and folded under and around the base strand and the loop end interconnecting portions of the contact strand in substantially clamping relation, and the base strand of each brush body is formed of substantially rigid material and the contact strands of each brush body are formed of substantially flexible synthetic fibers having the loop ends thereof hardened by fusion. The present invention further contemplates a glide surface generally comprising a plurality of such brush bodies secured together,

Referring now to FIGURE 1, brush strands 1 consists of synthetic fibers wound spirally then flattened and folded around a rigid base strand or wire core 2. The

folded portion is clamped and held by a support means 3 of U-form in cross section and a brush body is made. The wire core 2 prevents the falling off of the brush material. The brush body has looped ends which form substantially a smooth surf-ace. The loop ends may be hardened orfused near the ends so as to give sufficient toughness and springiness to the brush material.

One way of forming a gliding surface is made by providing a great number of rectilinear unit brush bodies in arrangement having proper intervals between each other, or otherwise such unit brush bodies are curved in Waveform as in FIGURES 2 and 3 to be connected wtih each other and arranged in a great number in rhombic forms, or alternatively, said rectilinear brush bodies and curved brush bodies are combined.

It is also possible to provide a gliding face shown in FIGURE 4 by winding rectilinear brush bodies closely on .a pipe in spiral form thus to constitute spirally coiled brush bodies B which are juxtaposed rotatably on a shaft, inserted interspaced pieces between each other.

Any one or combination of brush bodies of rectilinear curved, or rotatable forms or a parallel arrangement of those brush bodies arranged on an inclined surface will obtain a gliding device which is shown in FIGURE 5 as one of the embodiments. In this embodiment, there is provided a guide device on both sides of a gliding way, which is, as for example, formedby ropes and the like so as to prevent a running carriage from getting out of the way. A gliding surface C may be constituted of a body or bodies of hair-form material which is folded and at the folded part is clamped by a holder or made from a fine cut sheet of synthetic resin. A number of these bodies are laid in stages and placed in a gliding direction so as to provide a part of the gliding surface.

The gliding device according to this invention may thus render almost the same effect to the glider as on the snow. It can be covered with real snow, and in this case no great amount of snow is needed to meet the requirement compared with an artificially made snow gliding device.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the components of a brush body in exploded relation. In forming a brush body, a plurality of spirally wound contact strands 1 are flattened and superimposed. The base strand 2 is placed on the superimposed contact strands so that the opposed loop ends of the contact strands project laterally from the base strand. The loop ends are then folded upwardly around the base strand, as illustrated in FIGURE 7. Preferably, the loop ends are bunched together so that their ends provide a glide surface. The loop ends are held together by means of the support member 3, which is formed of a substana fusion to enhance the glide characteristics of the brush body. The support member 3 can be of any substantially rigid material suitable for holding the loop ends bunched together in the manner as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 specifically illustrates another arrangement of the brush bodies in forming a glide surface. This arrangement provides alternate rectilinear and undulating brush bodies 4 and 5, respectively, secured together in any suitable manner.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of. the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.

What 'I claim is:

1. A brush body suitable for use in a glide surface comprising a base strand, at least one contact strand wound into a flattened spiral configuration with opposed loop ends, folded under and around said base strand so that the loop endsare disposed on opposite sides of said base strand and means for securing said loop ends disposed on opposite sides of said base strand.

said base strand and the loop end interconnecting portions of said contact strand substantially in clamping relation.

3. A brush body according to claim 1, wherein said base strand is formed of substantially rigid material and the contact strand is formed of substantially flexible synthetic fibers having the loop ends thereof hardened by fusion.

4. A brush body according to claim 1, wherein the body is circular, having the loop ends thereof projecting substantially radially outwardly.

5. A glide surface comprising a plurality of brush bodies secured together wherein each of said brush bodies comprise a base strand, at least one contact strand wound into a flattened spiral configuration with opposed loop ends, folded under and around said base strand so that the loop ends are disposed on opposite sides of said base strand and means for securing said loop ends disposed on opposite sides of said base strand. l

6. A glide surface according to claim 5, wherein the securing means of each brush body includes a continuous strip extending along the length of the body and folded under and around the base strand and the loop end inter- 4 connecting portions of said contact strand in substantially clamping relation, and the base strand of each brush body is formed of substantially rigid material and the contact strand of each brush body is formed of substantially flexible synthetic fibers having the loop ends thereof hardened by fusion.

7. A glide surface according to claim 5, wherein each of the brush bodies is of rectilinear configuration.

8. A glide surface according to claim 5, wherein the brush bodies are alternately of rectilinear and undulating configurations. I

9. A glide surface according to claim 8, wherein the securing means of each brush body includes a continuous strip extending along the length of the brush body and folded under and around the base strand and the loop end interconnecting portions of said contact strand in substantially clamping relation, and the base strand of each body is formed of substantially rigid material and the contact strand of each brush body is formed of substantially flexible synthetic fibers having the loop ends thereof hardened by fusion.

10. A glide surface according to claim 5, wherein each of the brush bodies is circular, having the loop ends thereof projecting substantially radially outwardly and is rotatably mounted. p

11. A glide surface according to claim 19, wherein the securing means of each brush body includes a continuous strip extending along the length of the brush body and folded under and around the base strand and the loop end interconnecting portions of said contact strand in substantially clamping relation, and the base strand of each brush body is formed of substantially rigid material and the contact strand of each brush body is formed of substantially flexible synthetic fibers having the loop ends thereof hardened by fusion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 549,106 11/1895 Clements 15182 1,460,850 7/1923 Hokanson 15206 2,161,799 6/1939 Castberg 27256.5 X 2,974,690 3/1961 Park et al 13939-1 X 3,047,291 7/1962 Hall 272-56.5 3,047,292 7/1962. Acquaderni 272-56.5

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. F. B. LEONARD, A. W. KRAMER,

' Assistant Examiners. 

5. A GLIDE SURFACE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BRUSH BODIES SECURED TOGETHER WHEREIN EACH OF SAID BRUSH BODIES COMPRISE A BASE STRAND, AT LEAST ONE CONTACT STRAND WOUND INTO A FLATTENED SPIRAL CONFIGURATION WITH OPPOSED LOOP ENDS, FOLDED UNDER AND AROUND SAID BASE STRAND SO THAT THE LOOP ENDS ARE DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BASE STRAND AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID LOOP ENDS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BASE STRAND. 